I had been in the wheelchair for just five minutes, and already I had a taste of what it must be like to be confined to one. Perhaps, I thought, disabled people are penalized more by the inadequacy of facilities in Bermuda, than by their physical limitations.

I am an ăable-bodiedä person ÷ I have use of my limbs ÷ but I wanted to report first-hand on the accessibility issues facing people in wheelchairs. The best way to do this, I thought, might be to spend a few hours in a wheelchair.

Ann Lindroth, Governmentâs newly-appointed Coordinator for Disabled Persons, agreed to spend some time Îexploringâ Hamilton with me, to see just how easy ÷ or not ÷ it might be to get around the city by wheelchair.

The exercise was undertaken in the light of recent criticisms raised by visitors in wheelchairs, about Bermudaâs questionable amenities. Accessibility has, however, been on the minds of city planners; the recently released draft City of Hamilton plan, states ăthat all new buildings and alterations to existing buildings shall be accessible to persons with physical disabilities.ä

My experiment, however, was not getting off to a good start ÷ I was having trouble just getting from Point Finger Road to Hamilton.

I was to meet Ms. Lindroth, at her office on Court Street, at 10am, but so far had not been able to get a taxi. After the BIU, I called Radio Cabs. A woman there, while very polite, explained that the dispatch usually takes advance orders for wheelchair taxis. She said that she would see what she could do for me, and I left her my contact number.

Calling several other cab companies ÷ ones advertised as wheelchair taxi services ÷ did not prove any more fruitful. Although I called both the main numbers and cellular numbers of those providers, I was only able to get through to voice mail. I left messages, but did not get any calls back.

After about 45 minutes, and not having heard from any of the wheelchair taxis or Radio cabs - whom I did an unsuccessful double check with ÷ I was forced to temporarily abandon my wheelchair and drive into Hamilton in my own car.

It made me wonder: How much longer would it have taken to get a wheelchair accessible cab ÷ hours? Half-a-day? Longer?

It dawned on me that to be confined to a wheelchair, requires a lot of forethought and planning. Trips to the grocery store, the shops, a friendâs... would all of these require ordering a taxi the day before?

Aside from ferries (and only a few of the stops are accessible), there are no public transportation options for wheelchair users, and even taxi transportation, in my experience, had proved unreliable. This must be a frustrating reality for visitors, aside from a daily aggravation for local residents - especially since there are more than 40 wheelchair taxis on the road. Their operators were able to bring them in duty free through a Government concession.

CHAIRMAN of the Bermuda Physically Handicapped Association, Willard Fox, who has been a wheelchair-user all of his life, said of the availability of wheelchair taxis: ăWe have rights, as equal citizens, but this does not seem to be understood. Even though we might call in advance to book a taxi, even this falls through. Taxi drivers are not keeping their word, that they would provide this service.

ăThe situation now is that volunteers with accessible vehicles are having to pick up the slack. I get calls every week from visitors coming to the island, and it is very difficult, even with several monthsâ notice, to get taxis to commit to picking up these visitors.

ăFor locals, it is also a problem as without transportation it is difficult to hold down a job,ä Mr. Fox said.

Having made the trip into town by private car, I met with Ms. Lindroth, whose office was, of course, accessible by wheelchair.

Venturing onto Hamiltonâs streets, Ms. Lindroth talked about the considerations a wheelchair user would have. A backpack has to be wide enough to loop on to both handles of the wheelchair, otherwise it gets in the way of the wheel (as I found out).

Many people in wheelchairs wear fingerless gloves, as turning the wheel creates wear and tear on the hands. After nearly four hours in the wheelchair myself, which included frequent breaks where I was pushed rather than wheeling the chair myself, I had sore and red hands and my left arm ached for several days after.

I was wearing a light jacket, the sleeves of which became quite scuffed with dirt and dust from pushing the wheels. My leg started to go numb after a period of sitting still and I learned that people in wheelchairs have to lift, or be lifted off the chair regularly to release pressure areas, as a result of sitting for a length of time. This practice guards against the development of Îbed soresâ and numbness.

On Front Street, I had a hypothetical shopping list; I needed to get a new sweater, toothpaste, check on airline tickets, repair a watch, and do a little banking. I also wandered into shops along the way.

Passing by the Beach bar, I noticed that I would not have been able to go in, as it has a number of steps leading up to its entrance.

The Spinnakers gift shop had good access if one got up on the inner sidewalk just after the Beach. And to get back on the main sidewalk, it is necessary, to backtrack as the sidewalk that runs next to the shops becomes more elevated making it impossible to get off that sidewalk, by wheelchair.

I was also able to get in to Buds, Beans and Books, at the eastern end of Front Street, if I navigated my way in backwards. Going in forwards would have been difficult because of the lip of the threshold.

I made a stop at British Airways. The Front Street office was fairly straightforward to get in to, although I was dependent on others to hold the door for me. Once inside the BA office, the sales counter was at a low level, making it possible to wheel up and talk to the sales executive, face to face.

Passing the Port Oâ Call restaurant, I noted that it would not be an easy dining spot for a wheelchair user. Ms. Lindroth says wheelchair users would most likely not even try to patronize a place that was inaccessible.

ăThey will support a place that has made an effort; they are not going to make compromises, when there are places with easy access.ä

Arriving at Astwood Dickinson, I thought I would check out watch repairs. Getting onto the cobbled sidewalk was accomplished with some help. Once inside, I was able to navigate the front of the store, but to my dismay could not get to the back of the shop where the watches are, due to a number of stairs leading up to this department.

A visit to ÎMakin Wavesâ showed not only could I get in to the shop, but a helpful sales person even offered to move the racks should I need a little more room to navigate inside.

Along the way I got a little better at operating the wheelchair, which was donated to us for the day by the Red Cross rental facility. I never asked, however, for the rundown on how to drive it.

Out on my borrowed wheels, I soon discovered that pushing on the wheel rims allowed me to navigate left, right, or to turn corners. I also found that it is hard, physical work.

Ms. Lindroth said as a result, many wheelchair users have incredible upper body strength. Typically, new wheelchair users spend time with a physical therapist, first on even terrain, and then on inclines.

Our next stop was to do some banking, which was easily accomplished by taking the elevator at the Bank of Butterfield on Front Street, up to the teller area on Reid Street.

WITH that accomplished, we moved on to Cooperâs. I was able to easily wheel through the ground floor to the elevator, although the entrance to the elevator was only just wide enough for the wheelchair.

Once in the Ladiesâ department I had a look at the sweaters, and as they had a wheelchair accessible bathroom, I decided to check it out.

I had to pass through a door into a small hallway to access the bathroom. Alas, I found the bathroom locked. I then wheeled over to a salesperson and asked if it would be possible to have the key to the bathroom. She seemed in little hurry to get the key and in what was perhaps my most humiliating moment of the day, the salesperson spoke to and passed the key to Ms. Lindroth.

Even though I had approached her myself and asked for the key, the salesperson seemed to think that she should give the key to the able-bodied person accompanying me. Thoughts flashed through my mind, did she presume that I was unable to take part in such a basic gesture? Are people in wheelchairs deemed stupid or irreponsible?

Research shows that ignorance about wheelchair users is widespread. Item one on the ten commandments of etiquette for communicating with people with disabilities, is: ăWhen talking with a person with a disability, speak directly to that person rather than through a companion.ä

On to get toothpaste, I found the Phoenix Centre was accessible ÷ if someone held the door for me. I was also able to go through to Windsor Place and take the elevator up to either Air Canada or the American Airlines offices.

There was still, however, one item left on my hypothetical list - watch repair. I returned to Front Street and found that the watch department of H.A. & E. Smithâs was accessible. I noted, however that other areas of the shop would not have been so easily accessed, although the menâs department could have been accessed from Queen Street. The childrenâs departments and accessories section could also have been accessed through the Reid Street entrance.

A helpful salesperson explained that Smithâs is made up of a number of old buildings, and dates back to before accessibility was a common consideration.

Now ready for lunch, Ms. Lindroth and I headed for a restaurant that we knew to be accessible, Rudyâs Bistro in the Walkerâs Arcade.

LUNCH signalled that my time in the wheelchair was coming to an end: If only others had such a choice. I realized I had only touched the surface of the accessibilty issue in Hamilton. I found that I was able to access a large number of shops, but I was left with the feeling that to be in a wheelchair is still to be handicapped not so much by disability, but by the system.

I was able to wheel in and out of a lot of shops, but would I be able to get to the shops in the first place? Would I be able to get to a job that would enable me to earn the money to spend in those shops? It would not be easy.

Mr. Fox of the Bermuda Physically Handicapped Association, said: ăI sometimes feel like a cockroach; some years ago, I went to dine at the Windows on the Sound at the Southampton Princess. I had to access the restaurant through the kitchen. Now if my dollar was worth half of your dollar, I could understand this, but my money is as good as the next personâs money.